201: Don't overthink it (bonus chapter)

Xu Man gritted her teeth and pointed a finger at Jiang Ye, her meaning clear: Look at the romantic debt you've caused!

She took a deep breath and grabbed the phone, intending to personally soothe Informal reference to Ye Cheng.

In her heart, if she had to favor one of the girls, it would definitely be Ye Cheng.

The reason was simple: her son had taken the girl's "first time," which created a real bond and responsibility.

"Informal reference to Ye Cheng, don't think too much about it. Auntie just happened to come back and we ran into each other, so we're having a meal together. Actually, Auntie and Little Su..."

Before she could finish, the private room door opened with a "click," and Su Ning walked back in with a beaming smile.

Xu Man's voice stopped abruptly. Looking at Su Ning entering and the phone still connected in her hand, she froze in place.

Was... was this the legendary feeling of being "caught in bed"?

To think that she, Xu Man, had lived a life of integrity and openness, only to experience the feeling of having an affair in her old age... Su Ning looked at the two people with strange expressions and blinked, somewhat confused:

"Auntie, what's wrong? What are you... talking about?"

"Uh..."

Xu Man's lip twitched as she forced a smile. "Heh... hehe, it's nothing. It's just... Informal reference to Ye Cheng called, so we're... just chatting."

Su Ning's gaze swept over the phone on speaker in front of her. She sat back down and gave a sweet smile:

"Is it Big Sister's call? It's okay, Auntie. You don't need to worry about me. Big Sister and I have a great relationship."

On the other end of the line, Ye Cheng seemed to have guessed the change in the situation. She immediately chimed in with a laugh, her tone exceptionally poised and magnanimous:

"That's right, Auntie. Little Sister is correct. Please don't think too much about it. We get along quite well."

Xu Man: "..."

Wait... you two are already playing out a damn palace drama with your "Big Sister" and "Little Sister" talk, and you're telling me not to think too much?! How can I not?!

She gave a couple of awkward laughs, feeling sweat start to bead on her forehead. She had no choice but to turn a pleading gaze toward the culprit—her precious son.

Jiang Ye rubbed his nose and reached out to take the phone back from his mom:

"Cheng Cheng, let's leave it at that for now? Get some good rest and prepare for your next exam."

Ye Cheng replied obediently, "Mhm, okay. Hubby~ remember to pick me up at four o'clock tomorrow afternoon. I'll be done with my exam at three, and I can leave after I pack my things in the dorm."

Jiang Ye and Xu Man's eyelids twitched simultaneously.

Good grief. Just a moment ago, it was "Classmate Xiao Ye" and "Jiang Ye," but in front of a "competitor," the address was instantly upgraded.

After hanging up, the second half of the meal ended with Xu Man in a state of hesitation and distraction.

After paying the bill and walking out of the restaurant, the evening breeze blew. Xu Man looked at her son and Su Ning standing side-by-side and, after much hesitation, finally spoke:

"Xiao Ye, tomorrow... how about Mom goes over to your place to have a look?"

Jiang Ye was stunned. "To my place? Jindi Shangfeng?"

"Mhm."

Xu Man nodded.

If she didn't see for herself what kind of state this "family of four" her son mentioned was in, and meet those three girls in person, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep from now on.

Jiang Ye didn't think much of it and readily agreed. "Sure. Tomorrow I'll pick up Ye Cheng first, then come get you?"

"No need to go through all that trouble. Just send me a location, and I'll take a taxi there myself. It'll save you the back-and-forth trip."

"That works too. Get in the car, Mom. I'll drop you off first."

"No need."

Xu Man waved her hand. "I'm not on your way, and there's traffic tonight. You guys head back quickly."

With that, her mind filled with worries and questions, she hailed a taxi and left.

Seeing the taxi Xu Man was in disappear into the traffic, Su Ning, who had been tense for nearly three hours, finally let out a long sigh of relief.

She turned to look at Jiang Ye, who had also clearly relaxed. Recalling his earlier introduction of her as his "girlfriend," her heart felt a bit sweet yet a bit sour. She couldn't help but huff softly:

"Big Brother, does my performance today... count as passing?"

Jiang Ye looked into her expectant eyes and nodded, his tone certain:

"It counts. You performed quite well, and your quick reactions deserve praise."

Su Ning was delighted and quickly leaned in closer, lowering her voice:

"Then... does this count as... us really being together?"

Jiang Ye glanced at her, clicked his tongue with a half-smile, and reached out to lightly flick her forehead:

"Comrade Xiao Su, as your 'Big Brother,' I welcome your advances at any time, but as for anything else..."

He intentionally drawled out his words and shook his head. "You're still missing something."

The smile on Su Ning's face instantly collapsed. She was so angry she nearly jumped up, chasing after Jiang Ye to ask:

"Still missing? Missing what?!"

Seeing her eager desire to "become official," Jiang Ye found it amusing but couldn't say it out loud.

Was he supposed to tell her, "What you're missing is that you should have offered to pay the bill just now"?

Although a meal for three didn't trigger a cashback, it reflected that Su Ning's "ideological awareness" was still far from enough.

If he actually said that, with this drama-queen girl's brain, she would surely figure everything out in an instant. Then, her mindset as a "high-quality employee" would undergo a fundamental change, equivalent to being fired by the "company" and never triggering cashback again.

Jiang Ye would never do something so foolish as to cut off his own source of income.

He reached out and ruffled Su Ning's hair, turning toward the parking area, leaving behind only a dashing figure and a sentence that drove her crazy:

"Missing what? Figure it out yourself."

"!!!"

Hearing that familiar line, Su Ning nearly exploded with rage. Looking at Jiang Ye's back, she felt like lunging forward and biting him.

But she could do nothing about him, so she could only puff out her cheeks and follow him indignantly.

What exactly was still missing?

Was her online "simping" not intense enough? Or was her offline service not attentive enough?

Could it be... that she didn't dare to actually carry out a night raid last night?

However... at least today, she had successfully taken a crucial step and officially entered the ranks of "meeting the parents."

As for the rest... she, Su Ning, had plenty of patience and methods. Sooner or later, she'd have him licking her feet! Hmph!